Page 34 of Echos and Empires
Sarah shook her head, her eyes darting around nervously. “It doesn’t matter. I just... I can’t.”
She hurried away, leaving William standing alone in the middle of the street. *What the fuck?* he thought, frustration and paranoia warring within him.
“Hey William, what are you doing out so early?” Alex called, causing William to turn and see him with his hands cupped over his mouth.
Jogging over, he wondered if Alex would think he was crazy.
“Everything feels off. It’s like whatever happened at the latest council meeting yesterday was broadcast for people to stay away from Chris and us.”
“Not that I know of,” Alex looked away, clearly hiding something.
“Jesus not you too.”
“Look, Liam will kill me, but he heard something about Victor and he and I have been trying to snoop around for longer than a few hours. He’s got some maps drawn out.”
William snarled. “Well of course I knew, Liam is not sneaky.How did you know? Why are we keeping secrets?”And you tried to, too.
“We didn’t want to upset Emma. But it sounds like it’s too little too late for that. So now we focus on protecting her and our child. We do this together.”
“Together.” William agreed.
THIRTEEN
Alex’s heartraced as he meticulously prepared the medical check-up room, his mind consumed by the significance of the impending moment. With each instrument he laid out, a wave of excitement coursed through his veins, tempered only by the weight of responsibility that settled heavily upon his shoulders. There was nothing more important than this check up, except Emma herself.
As he moved through the tasks, his thoughts drifted to Emma and the journey that had led them to this point. From the moment he first laid eyes on her—shy and more than slightly disheveled—he’d known she was special. She’d survived on her own in conditions most surrendered to. In the months that followed, as they fought side by side against the harsh realities, he’d only fallen more and more in love with the fiercely determined woman she was.
Now, as he prepared to conduct his first pregnancy check-up on her baby, Alex couldn’t help but marvel at the depth of his feelings for her. She had become his rock, his reason for pushing forward in a world that seemed determined to break them. Thethought of being able to care for her and their unborn child filled him with a sense of purpose he had never known before.
He paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the room to ensure everything was in its proper place. The sterile white walls and gleaming metal surfaces stood in stark contrast to the chaos that reigned outside, a reminder of the fragile bubble of safety they had managed to carve out for themselves.
It wasn’t his usual role to fill, but no one seemed to want to object when he’d asked last week. A baby was a huge deal, and even if there was some time before they could tell whose baby it genetically was, as far as anyone would ever need to know, the baby was his in every way that mattered.
With a deep breath, Alex straightened his shoulders and turned towards the door, ready to greet Emma with a smile and the reassurance that everything would be alright.
Because it would be. Because nothing was going to go wrong, even if the island wasn’t as inviting as it had been the weeks or days before their accidental discoveries.
“Right this way,” Alex heard a nurse say moments before the door opened.
Emma stepped into the room, and the usual surge of affection threatened to overwhelm him. He watched as she took in her surroundings, her hazel eyes wide with a mix of nervousness and excitement. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward, his voice soft as he broke the silence between them.
“Emma, before we begin, I want you to know that you have options,” he said, his gaze locked on hers. “If you’d feel more comfortable seeing another doctor for this check-up, I completely understand.”
Emma shook her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Alex, there’s no one I trust more than you,” she replied, her voice firm with conviction. “I want you to be the one to do this. I need it to be you.”
Her words sent a wave of warmth cascading through his chest, and he found himself closing the distance between them, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek. “I’m honored,” he murmured, his thumb brushing gently across her skin. “I promise I’ll take the best care of you and our baby.”
Emma leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment. “I know you will,” she whispered, her breath ghosting across his wrist. “You always do.”
Unable to resist the pull between them, Alex dipped his head, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. It started soft and sweet, a gentle exploration of the love they shared, but quickly deepened as Emma wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
He lost himself in the moment, the world around them fading away until all that existed was the heat of their bodies pressed together and the rhythm of their heartbeats in sync. When they finally parted, both breathless and flushed, Alex rested his forehead against hers, a smile tugging at his lips.
“We should probably get started,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “As much as I’d love to keep kissing you, we have a very important appointment to keep.”
Emma laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears. “You’re right,” she agreed, stepping back and smoothing her hands over her shirt. “Let’s do this. Together.”
With a nod, Alex guided her towards the examination table, his hand resting gently on the small of her back. As he helped her settle in, he marveled at the strength and resilience of the woman before him, and the depth of the love he felt for her. No matter what the future held, he knew that as long as they faced it together, they could overcome anything.
